Travel to the Maldives    by TJ Tierney

Try the Maldives for a striking tropical vacation.

If you are looking for extreme luxury with tropical surroundings, you don't have to look any further - the Maldives is a perfect destination for a once in a lifetime vacation.

Once a completely remote and isolated tropical paradise, the Maldives has now become a very popular holiday destination for Europeans and Americans. The Maldives is made up of a group of atolls with luxury resorts scattered around its coastline.

The Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean. Situated south of India and south west of Sri Lanka, the Maldives total twenty-six atolls with over 1000 small islands, most of which are inhabitable.

Most of the resorts have their own entities with some resorts taking up whole islands - these resorts offer great privacy and ensure a relaxing vacation. Nearly all of the holiday resorts are located on the five main atolls, which are Kaafu, Vaavu, Baa, Alifu and Lhaviyani. Alifu is the main tourist zone where new hotels and resorts are in the process of being built.

Travelling to the Maldives is pretty straightforward. Standard travel documents, such as a passport are needed, but you don't need a visa. Visas are only required if you are planning to work there.

Accommodation in the Maldives differs from resort to resort and from island to island. Some resorts offer basic huts with outdoor bathroom facilities that will give you the traditional island feel, while others offer all the standard services that we are accustomed too.

Most of the resorts in the Maldives provide some, or all, types of water trips. Night time fishing trips are a special treat. The Maldives is also known as one of the best diving destinations in the world and the resorts cater very well for this. Most of the resorts have got their own diving school.

The seas around the Maldives also provide great areas for snorkelling; the coral reefs are amazing and are full of great and wonderful marine life. But to see the full extent of the amazing sea around the Maldives you need to go deep into the sea. A deep-sea dive will certainly be worth it and these are widely available.

The Maldives is also a perfect spot for any type of water sports, especially windsurfing and scuba diving and is also a great destination for sailing and water-skiing.

Most of the resorts have their own bars and restaurants. The food is similar on most resorts with restaurants ranging from Oriental to Middle Eastern. Most resorts have coffee shops that serve light snacks. Fish and rice are the two most common dishes in the Maldives.

If you are looking for some thing different a cruise around the islands of the Maldives is certainly the best way to see the area. This is a unique experience and will give you a great insight into the region.

The resorts of the Maldives are very well known for their lavish spa treatment. Along with its stunning white sandy beaches and glorious sunshine the Maldives will certainly make for a great holiday.

About the Author
TJ Tierney is an award winning photographer and a freelance writer. To find out more information on the Maldives visit his travel guide or his travel directory.

Surfing In The Maldives   by Sean Friedman
 

Surfing in the Maldives has increased in popularity quite dramatically since the mid 90's when the O'Neill Deep Blue Contest was held at Lohifushi. There are a load of fantastic breaks in the Maldives; however, there are only a few within the tourism zone. These breaks are also only really surfable from March to November. It is imperative that you plan ahead if you are thinking of surfing in the Maldives. You must have your accommodation booked for the entire duration of your stay before you land. The Maldives are not an area where you can just turn up with your board and head for the waves!

The southwest monsoon hits the Maldives between May and November and this is generally when the best breaks occur. June is generally the time of year when bad weather and large storms hit, so surfing is not so good, however there can be some huge swells for the more adventurous surfer. The best known breaks are found in North Male Atoll, this area can get very crowded especially if there are a few surfing safari boats around. Some of the best spots are;

The Chickens - Left hander
Cola's - Right hander
Lohi's - Left hander
Jailbreaks - Right hander
Sultans - Right hander

There are also some breaks in South Male Atoll; however, these are generally smaller than and not as reliable as those in North Male Atoll. There are not as many surfing safaris here either, and it is more difficult to find anyone who knows the breaks well.

On the outer Atolls are a few decent breaks, however if you plan to make a special trip out here, make sure you use a reliable boatman, and do some research before you leave.

Most of the surfing resorts are in North Male Atoll, however there are only a couple that will cater for surfers by providing a regular boat services to the waves. Dhoniveli Beach, Lohifushi, and Club Med Kani, are three resorts that offer excellent surfing services. They all either have breaks nearby or a regular boat service to the closest waves. They also have bars and viewing facilities setup to enjoy the surfing in comfort.

If you want to enjoy a surfing holiday in the Maldives you really need to do some research and plan ahead or you may be disappointed.

About the Author
The Maldives have some of the best sites I've ever surfed, for more info on these sites visit Maldives Surfing